1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to flush valves of the type commonly found in public washrooms and, more particularly, to a refill ring.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,656,499; 5,013,007; 5,150,877; 5,232,194; 5,332192; 5,335,694; and 5,865,420 show various types of refill rings. Typically, these refill rings have passageways to permit water to pass therethrough during the closing process. The purpose of the refill rings is two-fold; namely, to limit the amount of water passing through diaphragm-type flush valves during closing and to avoid vibration and noise. However, all of these refill rings are expensive to manufacture and do not adequately perform their intended function. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a flush valve refill ring to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art.
The present invention is a flush valve that includes a body having an inlet and an outlet, a passage connecting the inlet and outlet, a valve seat on one end of the passage, a valve assembly in the body including a relief valve and a flexible diaphragm having a sealing surface configured to have a pressure difference applied across the valve and positioned to control the flow of water through the passage and to close upon the seat, a guide member extending from the underside of the diaphragm and configured to co-act with the passage, and a refill ring attached to the guide member and positioned for contact with the passage. The refill ring includes an annular-shaped solid resilient member. An example of such a member is an O-ring made of rubber or other flexible polymeric material. During operation, when the valve assembly is in an open position, the refill ring does not contact the passage. However, during closing operation of the valve assembly, but before seating on the valve seat, the refill ring forms an initial seal between the passage and the guide member so that water cannot pass therethrough. Moreover, the refill ring provides yielding frictional resistance to the movement of the valve assembly relative to the passage to thereby dampen vibration of the valve assembly during the closing phase of the flush valve operating cycle. The refill ring is received on a supporting member, preferably, a shoulder defined by the guide member and an annular member, attached to the guide member whereby the refill ring contacts both the valve assembly and the passage when the valve assembly is in the closed position. Preferably, the support member is configured so that it does not contact the passage during the closing phase of the flush valve operation. Alternatively, the refill ring can be integrally formed on an underside of the diaphragm.
The present invention is also a flush valve of the described type having a flow control ring attached to the guide member. The flow control ring is held in position by a plurality of guide member legs extending from the guide member and preferably a second support member. The flow control ring includes an annular-shaped solid resilient member. Again, an example of such a member is an O-ring made of rubber or other flexible polymeric material. The flow control ring is positioned on the guide member so that it is in constant contact with the passage during the entire stroke or operating cycle of the flush valve. The flow control ring provides yielding frictional resistance to the movement of the valve assembly relative to the passage to thereby dampen vibration of the valve assembly during the entire flush valve operating cycle. However, the arrangement of the flow control ring, the plurality of guide member legs and guide member is such that gaps are formed to allow for the flow of water through the passage during the flush valve operation. Preferably, the second support member is configured so that it does not contact the passage during the stroke of the valve assembly during flush valve operation.